Sluice box with water distribution pipes



June 17, 1947. '.1. P. SMITH SLUICE BOX WITH WATER DISTRIBUTION PIPES Filed May la, ,1945

' 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented June 17, 1947 UNIT STAT ES SLUICE "BOX WITH"WATER"DISTRIBUTION PIPESL J osephP.- Smith, PyrmontiNew South Wales; Australia ApplicationMay P18, 1945; Seral'N; 59'4;456-` InA'ustralia J une15, 1944' a1 state-ofagitatiorl, sovthat the mineral content 10` may be allowed to settle on the floor orfV bottom off' the sluice Y box; or.y collected I; in riiil'es l. formed transversely in or' onvth'efbottom' ofsaidsluice` box,-A

Ithas-.been found` irl-practice, supported-by!A 15'l observation, that with sluice boxes-sof' thertype at'f present in` use@ aportion 'Xofthef valuable mineral is- 10st; more particularly whenV the mineral-'- isfof a flaky-Vor greasy: nature, or whenth'e maeterial beingtreated* is insuilciently agitated.

Asmost alluvials and batteryicrushings' or likematerials containa large proportion of slime'ar-id cement, itl is essential that suchA material should be'maintained lin' athoroughly agitated-statefdiir-` ing f treatment; otherwise` the action' of running 25 waterV is-liable to causefthe slime-or cement-pareticles to become set or compacted on thebottem of the sluice box, and at the samertirneclegthe riiils, thusf causing-1a smooth vsurface to loe-formed on'theslime-or cement'which preventsthef'min' 30 eral from being deposited onv totheefloorofftlie sluice-boxfor-collectedin the riles:

The fmain object 0f `'this inventionisto provide l af sluice box or the like; ofA simple"-construction'A having A'mea-ns whereby the mate-rial 'beingftreat- 35 ed, with'theaidiofirunningjwater; can bemaine tained-in aconstant andfeven' state of'ag-itation' Without the' aid of hand-lor'mechanicallyfoper:- ated tools-or appliances.-

Anotherobject ofthe invention-is' to provide 4Q ina'sluice 'box' or thei'lik'e; meanswhereby a' corrstant supply of"clean1water"can be`introduced, under pressure,y into thevsluice box neartlfle'boti tom, n in ,an1 upward direction, sa that said-Water 45 wil1rise,thr0ugh theinaterials, toeagitate theA same, and allow .themineral particles .togravitate onA toA the bottom ofrthe. sluoe.box. and.v into ,the-1 riilesffor-subsequent recovery.-

A-; further object of. the ,invention V4issto.provide- 50 meansf whereby air, underf pressure;v togetherl with; orz without, aconstant. suppl-y: oi'zrun-nin-g; water; can be-ipassedaupwa-rdly` through -tlflesmateeA ria-Ltoffmaintain thezsame; ima-state'- of--l agitation;

andmeans Wherebyf-the-tpressure t-oi-j airv and/or. 55

water-1 can; berregulated: to: suit special i renluire-v i ments.

Ax still.v further 'object' ofAv the, invention is tol providein a; sluice :boxzone' or morel sumps wherebyffthe: mineral concentrates: or" the like` after passing:downthersluice boxioan be collected, and means 'whereb-ygthe'f materials *being `:deposited: in v2 saidvsumpi'o-r. sumps will .be thoroughlyfagtated;

The invention will nowbe; more;` fully described,`

aidedzby azlreferenceto :the accompanyingsheets of; drawings; wherein:

Fig. .lfi'sia;,view inside elevation, and

Eig. 2 aiviewin plan, of aasluice-boxfconstructed -s afccerdir'lgitc".` this invention; .and Ia'dapt'eds-forl the recoveryof minerals from alluvials;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevationof'theftontend:

portionofithe sluicewboxfseen-in Figs; 1v and" 2,

illustrating' the arrangement@ 0f the perforated` pineY grills;

Eig. 4- is-"acrossxsection"taken. on lines AA Vof Fig. 3; 1

Fig.A 5: is` a cross. section taken on 'lines B-B f Fig;v 6 fisia: diagrammatic view 7in :section showing a: slui-ee box4 adapted for treating battery4 crushings suchJasV-sand, tailings or thelike;

Figg'l isa-cross section offthesump seen in-Fgm 6; and

r8risra:modied.iornfictsump adaptedtoreceivezthematerialzfrom the -oonofzthefsluce boxseen ini-Fig; 6:

mounted-:on suitable frame-workeZ'.

The sluice box is shown having rectangular: shaped'. sumps t3 which aref arranged vat a predetermined d-istance apa-rt, according; e to the-total..y

length offthe sluice box.. n

Thefsluicehoxmay be -made Iin one: orfmore launders-*orf-sections andeach section or launder is furnished with one or more-sumas 3', as l:shown in Figs. 1; 2 and 6'oifthedrawings.A

Each slu-icee ltloxvsumpy is constructed prefer'-vv ablyas shown: having a sloping.- bcttomt`v li and i furnished witlfra:slidingfdischargc-l` valve yor gate 5 which isy operated ley/rackn and pinion gear through themedium-:of afhand Wheel l; but,.if

desired,` any;` other approved'. formof discharge valve or the .lik-efmay be employed v-to yenable` the contentsr-offthefsump lSetobe dischargedlasand,

when-required...

As-showni inthe drawings,the.s1uice boxfis arranged at a Asuitable angle, longitudinally, sothat f.

3 .y the materials being treated will gravitate or flow downwardly through the sluice box into the sump 3.

Each launder or like portion of the sluice box is tted with a pipe structure 8V of the grill formation made from a plurality of perforated pipes which are suitably connected together and arranged to lie slightly above but parallel with the bottom of each section or launder portion of the sluice box, as seen in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

As shown in the drawing, each perforated pipe grill or like structure 8 is built in two sections and each section comprises a series of longitudinally arranged pipes 9, one end of each being closed while the other end of each longitudinal pipe is connected to a transverse pipe Ill, which extends through the wall of the sluice box and is con-` nected to the main supply pipe I I.

The longitudinally arranged perforated pipesv found most suitable, so that when air or water (or both) is delivered into said pipes, under pressure, it will be forced in a vertical direction through the perforations for the purpose of agitating the alluvial or like material in the manner hereinafter described.

As shown, each sump 3 of the sluice box I is tted with a perforated pipe grill I2, which is similar in construction to ther perforated pipe grills 8 but is arranged in each sump at a predetermined position below the level of the bottom of the sluice box, so as to receive the overflow of materials therefrom.

The material being treated, instead of being delivered direct on to the bottom of the sluice box in the ordinary manner, is delivered directly 'upon the perforated pipe grill 8 in the upper or first section of the sluice box I, and in such a manner that the pressure of water and/ or air passing upwardly through the perforations in the pipes will cause the materials to be thoroughly agitated and washed to prevent the same banking up or clogging, and, at the same time, allow or cause all the mineral particles to be collected vin the sumps 3.

For the purpose, suitable feed mechanism such as a revolving screen I3 ofthe perforated or woven type, as indicated by the broken lines in Fig. l may be employed to automatically deliver the material on to the perforated pipe grill of the rst section or launder portion of the sluice box; and said revolving screen is arranged or disposed longitudinally above the feed end of sluice box I, as shown.

It will be clearly understood that any other or well-known or` approved type of mechanically or manually operated mechanism may be provided for effectively delivering and spreading the alluvial or like material on to the perforated pipe grill in the sluice box.

It will be further understood that it is necessary when treating different types of classes of materials that the pressure of air and water passing through the perforated pipes should be regulated, and for this purpose, suitable regulating cocks or valves I4 and pressure gauges I5 are fitted to the main supply pipes I I, as seen in Fig. 1.

According to the invention, as the alluvial or other material is delivered Yon to the pipe grill or the like in the first section or launder of the sluice box, the pressure of air or water passingv through the perforations causes disintegration of 4 the material and allows the same to flow freely downwardly on the bottom proper of the sluice box into the sumps 3. "Io enable the overflow of material from one section or launder to be delivered on to the pipe grill 8 of the next section or launder, a baffle board Il, or the like, is fitted in the sluice box as shown in Fig. 3 at the head or feed-in portion of each section.

If desired, suitable riflies or the like I6 for col-` lecting minerals may be formed on the bottom of the sluice box at the discharge end of the same, as shown in Fig. 2.

For treating battery crushings, tailings or like material of a very fine character, the sluice box I instead of having a perforated pipe grill fitted therein as seen in Fig. 3, is constructed, as seen in Fig. 6, having its bottom portion comprising a plurality of sumps I8 which are arranged as shown, so that the material will overflow from one sump into another, to provide efficient means for separating and collecting the minerals from the material as it flows through the sluice box.

Each sump I8 may be of any desired dimensions and it is tted with'a perforated pipe grill I9, somewhat of the type seen in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing, to discharge air or water into the sump, so as to maintain the contents in astate..

of agitation and allow the'heavy mineral particles to settle into V.the discharge end portion of the sump.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the pipe grills I9 in the sumps I8 are arranged slightly above and f charge valve or gate 2l of any well known lor approved type, or, if desired, suitable pipes and discharge valves may be fitted to the kbottom or sides of the sump for the discharge of the material therefrom. Y

I claim:

1. A sluice box for treating alluvials or Vthe`V like for recovery of minerals therefrom comprisingV a rectangular box structure having a plu.. rality of launders, means for introducing mate rial to said structure, means ineach launder for forcing a fluid vertically upward through said material, said fluid forcing means forming a perforated grill structure comprising two sections of perforated pipes alternately arranged longitudinally of said launder and disposed a prede- Y termined distance above the bottom of said launder, and means at the discharge end of each launder for collecting the said mineral deposits.

2. A sluice box for treatingV alluvials or the like for recovery of minerals therefrom comprisf ing a rectangular box-like structure having al plurality of launders, a perforated grill disposed in each launder and elevated from the bottom of said launder, means for introducing material' directly to said perforated grill, means for forcing a iiuid through said grill in a Vertical direc-'- 'tion for disintegration and agitationV of said inaterial whereby mineral particles infsaid mate-f rial will gravitate to said bottom of said'laund'erjv and means for collecting'sai'd particlesat' the` discharge end of said launders, said collecting means comprising a sump having two sections of alternately arranged longitudinally disposed perforated pipes forming a perforated grill mounted therein and means for forcing a uid upwardly through said grill in said sump for further agitation and washing of said material.

3. A sluice box for treating alluvials or the like for recovery of minerals therefrom, comprising a rectangular box-like structure having a series of connected launders, mineral collecting means disposed at the discharge end of each of said launders, each of said launders having a perforated grill structure disposed therein and being positioned above and parallel to the bottom of said launder, said grill comprising two sections of alternately arranged longitudinally disposed perforated pipes, means for introducing said material directly on said grill, means for forcing a fluid vertically from said perforated pipes through said material for agitating the same for gravitation of said minerals, said collecting means comprising a sump having two sections of alternately arranged longitudinally disposed perforated pipes forming a perforated grill mounted therein and means for forcing a fluid upwardly through said grill in said sump for further agitation and washing of said material.

4. In a sluice box for treating alluvials or the like for recovertr of minerals therefrom as claimed in claim 3, means for regulating the pressure and ow of said fluid through said perforated pipes comprising said grill structures and pressure indicating means.

5. In a sluice box for treating materials such as alluvials, battery crushings or the like, for the recovery of minerals the combination kof a plurality of sumps arranged in series forming the bottom portion of said sluice box for collecting said minerals, said sumps having a sloping bottom portion, a perforated grill comp-rising a plurality of perforated pipes mounted in said sumps parallel to but removed from said sloping bottom portion, means for forcing a fluid through said perforated pipes for agitating and Washing said materials and means for controlling the discharge of said material from each sump.

JOSEPH P. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 448,710 Chick Mar. 24, 1891 252,793 Oliver Jan. 24, 1882 1,409,385 McDougall Mar. 14, 1922 847,519 Sloane Mar. 19, 1907 1,170,848 Richards Feb. 8, 1916 299,235 Loomis May 27, 1884 1,600,489 Schifferle Sept. 21, 1926 

